Are you a big fan of West Ham United? If the answer is “yes”, then we are sure that the name Boleyn Ground means a lot to you! The popularity of this stadium was massive. It was located in the eastern part of London where many Premier League fixtures were played there for more than 100 years.
As you know, West Ham doesn’t play there anymore. Fans can now attend their home matches at the London Stadium that is near Stratford.
Just because this stadium was up for demolition, that doesn’t mean we should not talk about it. Its long lasting tradition deserves utmost respect. So, let’s talk about it!
History of Boleyn Ground Stadium
The first time West Ham played a match here was in 1904. They amalgamated together with another popular club – Boleyn Castle.
The name we have mentioned several times is not the only one that’s been used for this place. The stadium was located in Upton Park, which is also a moniker that fans like to use.
In 1944, during WWII, an unspeakable thing happened to this famous ground. A flying bomb hit a part of the pitch. Because of that, the players of West Ham had to play matches at other grounds until the damage was fixed. Interestingly, they won 9 games in a row in different locations. When they went back home, they lost against Tottenham Hotspur.
Things Changed from 1993
Things in the world of football started to change in the late 80s. Because of that, Upton Park had to turn into an all-seater stadium. That was the demand of the Taylor Report. The south bank of the stadium was redesigned because of that. It got 9000 seats which were pretty cool for that period of time.
There is one fun fact about the south stand – it was known under the name of Bobby Moore. Bobby Moore was a legend and a West Ham Captain. That part of the stadium also got a digital clock. In the modern era we live in, this may not seem surprising. But, in the early 90s, this was a luxury that only a few clubs could afford.
After that, the entire stadium had to be renovated. West Ham United owners created 6000 seats on the east stand. In 2000, the west stand was finally replaced and it got 15000 seating places.
2006 – An Interesting Year
2006 was a pretty interesting year for this club. Their league cup winner odds for that year were pretty low. They had a great team which had the potential to grow in the future. That is the reason why Eggert Magnusson (the owner of the club) had to start thinking about moving to another stadium.
Boleyn Ground’s capacity in that period was around 35000 thousand seats. They got an offer to move to Olympic Stadium immediately after the Summer Olympics in 2012 ended. The owner agreed to it at first, but he soon gave up on that. The stadium was reduced to 25000 seats, which was a lot less compared to what they already had.
Still, The Plan Once Again Became Active
In 2010, the news owners took over West Ham. Their names were David Sullivan and David Gold. They even made the decision to move to the new stadium. West Ham fans were not amazed by that idea, but they didn’t make a lot of noise.
After negotiations, the new owners got permission from Boris Johnson, who was the mayor of London that year. Unfortunately, there were many legal challenges. Those challenges even had names – Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur. These two clubs also wanted this ground. That was the reason West Ham remained at Upton Park.
The last Game Was in 2016
The final Premier League match for the West Ham club was in 2016. Their opponent was supposed to be Swansea City with the game on May 7th. But, they also had to play the match against Manchester United which had an FA Cup final on April 23rd, the same day they had to play against WHU. Because of that, the match was delayed to May 10th 2016. Both teams needed victory to reach the European competition. West Ham won that match, and the fans in the stands were extremely happy.
Their happiness was not only due to their love for their favorite team, but also because of the betting odds for this game. Football betting on the best payout casinos sites attracted many new users thanks to the situation, with lots of fans cashing out big on that night.
So, What Happened with the Stadium After that?
The entire stadium was sold for around 40 million British pounds. The new investors planned to build 800 homes in that area. Before it got demolished, the stadium had been used for the purposes of a movie under the name Final Score. Only a couple of days before the demolition process started, there was a charity match. The investors promised to build up a park and a statue of Bobby Moore in the neighborhood as well. That way, some parts of tradition remained. But, we are sure West Ham’s supporters will remember the stadium forever!
Conclusion
It is impossible to describe how high the popularity of this stadium was. First and foremost, there are not many stadiums in the world that were demolished after 100 years. It is not a secret this is one of the oldest sports venues. Besides, the stadium was destroyed 6 years ago, and we are still talking about it. That fact only confirms how meaningful it was for all the people that love and support West Ham. The new stadium they play at is also amazing, but it will take the entire century to get the glory Boleyn Ground had.
